What are you looking for?

Bike Shed’s Scrambler influence

Dutch van Someren, founder of moto-destination the Bike Shed, is one of the Street Scrambler’s biggest fans. Now he has designed the tank for the factory-accessorised new 2019 model

His background isn’t in design, but he’s taken to it quickly and has an eye for detail: “I’m not a designer, but I used to be in charge of creative projects, which has given me some experience. I know what I want the final thing to look like, it’s just been a case of learning the skills to get there myself.

“I wanted the tank to be contemporary in colour choice, yet with classic lines,” Dutch says of his initial outlook. The sweeping lines are reminiscent of ’60s bikes, yet the colour choice is much more up to date.

Eyes on the prize

“My approach to this tank was to pick one design and go with it. I know sometimes you can go overboard with producing lots of ideas to choose from. I just wanted to pick one and make it the best I could.

“I’ve been doing all of the design work at the Bike Shed for a while. When we started we were only small and couldn’t hire a designer, so I started doing bits myself, including the logo. It’s really enjoyable.

“The orange is the ‘Bike Shed’ orange, and I though it went nicely with the grey and cream. Originally I wanted to go with matt paint, but we decided to go with gloss in the end. As it’s a launch tank and would appear mainly on pictures, the finish itself doesn’t make too much difference.

“Often bikes are launched with very plain tanks, so I think we managed to achieve something a bit different here,” says Dutch.

Intermot reveal

Dutch also joined Triumph at the Cologne Motorcycle Show, to ride his own creation out onto the stage for the reveal of the new 2019 Street Scrambler.

One of Triumph’s most-loved urban classics, this new bike raises the bar again with even more power, a higher specification and its unparalleled premium style.

A new era

Dutch is known for using his highly accessorised Street Scrambler as a tool for picking his way through the dense urban sprawl of London: “The Street Scrambler is the perfect bike for London riding. It’s got the power you need to cut through traffic and the capability to get over the speed bumps, huge pot holes and over curbs. My bike is 90% kitted out with Triumph accessories. It’s a lot of fun to make it your own.

“I love the Street Scrambler. I have the 2018 model, and now they’ve launched the new one – I’d quite like that. The upgrades make a lot sense and improved braking is always welcome.”